Our Program

Over the past 30 years, our nationally recognized program has earned a well-deserved reputation as one of the most comprehensive photography programs in the West. Located within the School of Art and Design, the Photography Program at San Jose State University is the largest in the California State University system and one of the largest in the Western United States. Our curriculum engages students in a diverse range of contemporary practices in the medium, from traditional silver-based photography and historic alternative photo processes, to innovative approaches to digital and video imaging. In addition to our emphasis in photography as a fine art, our program also includes a strong commercial photography component, a feature that makes our undergraduate program unique.

Covering a full spectrum of technical, aesthetic, conceptual, and theoretical issues, one of our primary objectives is to enhance the student's ability to conceptualize an idea and gain the ability to visually articulate concepts. Throughout its 150-year history, photography has served as a powerful means of self-expression, a catalyst for cultural change and a medium for social commentary. We encourage students to produce thoughtful artwork that deals with meaningful issues. We also recognize the increasing interdisciplinary nature of photography, and encourage interested students to explore related media including installation, film and video, and electronic media.

Location

Ideally situated in Silicon Valley, known for innovation and beautiful weather, the University is located in downtown San Jose, in close proximity to San Francisco and the rest of the culturally rich Bay Area and West Coast. Students have an extraordinary opportunity to gain exposure to internationally recognized artists through visits to major museums and galleries such as the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and the Oakland Museum, among numerous others. The San Jose Museum of Art, ICA (Institute of Contemporary Art) and Works are all within walking distance of the campus.

Faculty

Our Photography faculty consists of nine professors: all practicing image-makers with strong international, national or regional reputations, representing a wide range of aesthetic approaches to the medium. Their work has garnered numerous awards and is included in the permanent collections of over 40 national and international museums including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the New York Museum of Modern Art, the Bibliotheque National in Paris, the George Eastman House, the Getty Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Members of our faculty are active board members of Bay Area art organizations including San Francisco Camerawork, Carmel’s Center for Photographic Art, Photo Alliance, and national organizations such as the Society for Photographic Education. Faculty members and students are actively involved in national conferences and panels. There is no pervasive aesthetic trend at SJSU; the faculty has been carefully selected to offer a wide range of aesthetic and technical possibilities to the students.

Facilities

Technical facilities are among the best and largest in the West and include five Epson printers (9600, 4800, 7600 and 4000), one Kodak 4000 printer, a large complement of digital support equipment, a 30" color processor, digital and film based cameras to 8x10 inches in format, and four instructional complexes with fifty enlargers, eight commercial lighting studio stations, and facilities for alternative photographic processes. We recognize the future of most photographic practice to be digital, yet we honor and respect the educational value and the potential for self-expression available in traditional darkroom facilities. To that end, we maintain traditional darkrooms and an alternative processes lab, while we continue to upgrade our digital equipment as the technology advances.

School of Art and Design

The School of Art and Design has approximately 2500 students majoring in five degree programs (BA, BFA, BS, MA, MFA) and is among the largest of university-based art programs in the nation. The Photography Program alone serves over 400 undergraduate and graduate students each semester. For more information on the School of Art and Design, please visit: http://ad.sjsu.edu/

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